1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extraction and brewing machine, and more particularly to a machine having an aeration container where particles or microorganisms can be extracted through a filter into a larger aeration tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of fertilizers is well understood to aid in the growth of plants. Chemical fertilizers in particular are extensively used today. Chemical fertilizers are used residentially in applications such as residential lawns, flower gardens and vegetable gardens. Examples of commercial use of chemical fertilizers include golf courses and farms. While chemical fertilizers may work well for their intended purposes, there are some drawbacks associated with their applications. Overuse of chemical fertilizers can be harmful to exposed areas, as evidenced by patches of “burnt” lawns. Further, children and pets should stay clear of treated areas until after the chemical fertilizer has been worked into the soil. This commonly occurs during a rainfall. Runoff of excess chemical fertilizers can further cause damage the overall ecosystem.
Organic compost has long been known to be an excellent fertilizer and soil conditioner. When properly tended to, compost comprises many beneficial microbial organisms, or microorganisms. Among the many beneficial microorganisms are bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. Benefits of using organic compost include aiding in the natural biological process in soil to make nutrients and water available to root systems of plants. Further, the microorganisms in the organic compost can help protect plants from disease causing organisms, improve nutrient retention and water retention of the soil, reduce or eliminate harmful pesticides, and decompose harmful toxins. Use of organic compost to cover widespread areas is impractical, as the amount of area that can be treated with the compost is limited based on the amount of compost. The economics of obtaining and spreading large quantities of compost effectively further limits its practicality.
Many attempts have been made to extract and/or grow the beneficial microorganisms found in the compost. The process generally comprises the steps of extracting beneficial microorganisms from compost and/or aerobically growing the microorganisms in water or other liquid. A solution made of water and microorganisms is called compost tea, or simply tea. The process of growing the tea is called tea brewing. The tea can be applied to the soil in place of and/or in addition to chemical fertilizers. A goal of applying microorganisms to the soil is to enhance the soil, not necessarily to replace the need for chemical fertilizers. In this regard, the microorganisms are useful in making the chemical nutrients available to the plants. One common method of application of the tea utilizes spray nozzles to mist the tea over a selected area. Compost having certain characteristics and quantities of organisms can be used to brew tea with specific characteristics or quantities of specified microorganisms. A benefit of using tea is that the beneficial microorganisms can be applied to a large area. Another benefit of using compost tea is that the tea is not harmful to children and pets, and that use of the treated area can resume quickly without waiting for a rainfall.
Some extraction machines utilize mechanical mixers used to mix the compost in water. While the mechanical mixers are efficient at mixing the compost and water, the mixers also can harm or destroy the microorganisms in the compost. Further, the more vigorous the mixing, the greater the potential damage to the microorganisms. Still further, in a non-aerated mechanically mixed environment, the oxygen demands of the microorganisms can quickly deplete the available dissolved oxygen in the liquid. Non-beneficial or harmful microorganisms could then proliferate under the anaerobic conditions.
Sometimes the compost is mixed with the tea in a single large aeration tank. In such a situation, the tea must be strained or filtered before use to prevent the tea from jamming the nozzles of a sprayer machine. One drawback of filtering the tea after it is brewed is that filtering the tea may filter out many or most of the beneficial microorganisms.
A system exists comprising an aerated tank with a filter supported within the tank. One such system is sold under the name Bobolator. In this system, the microorganisms that escape through the filter can grow in the tea. However, the filter used in this system is partially open directly to the atmosphere. A large percent of the air exiting the filter therefore passes directly to the atmosphere without first passing through the filter into the larger tank. The air that passes directly to the atmosphere does little to aid in the extraction of microorganisms through the filter. Accordingly, only a limited quantity of microorganisms passes through the filter and into the tank.
Other systems have been designed having a bag filled with compost that is submergible in a tank. One such system is sold under the name Simplici-tea. In this system, the bag is free to move anywhere in the tank. Further, there is no active process for specifically aerating the bag or drawing air through the bag. Therefore a limited amount of the air may pass through the bag, and the extraction rate can be less than optimal.
Many systems use plastic components, which can be easily scratched. It is difficult to clean scratched plastic components, and microorganisms can remain in the scratches. Anaerobic conditions can develop in the scratches, and non-beneficial or harmful microorganisms can proliferate under anaerobic conditions.
Thus there exists a need for an improved tea extractor and brewer that solves these and other problems.